Make a Wish
by MrsGPotter2
Summary: When Peyton needs a purpose in life, she decides to volunteer at the hospital and there she meets Jessie Thompson. What could this young girl's wish have to do with Peyton's relationship with Lucas? AU post season 4. Read & Review, 1st One Tree Hill story
1. The Wish

**Disclaimer:** I do not have the brilliance of Mark Schwann, and therefore I do not own One Tree Hill.

**A/N:** This takes place after season 4 but before season 5 starts. It begins six months after the proposal, and Lucas has not hasd the signing in LA yet, so Lucas and Lindsay are not together.

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Chapter 1 - The Wish

Peyton Sawyer walked into the pediatrics ward of the hospital close to her home in Los Angeles. Since she was not finding fulfillment in her job as the assistant to the assistant to the president of a record label, she decided to find it elsewhere and volunteered to work with some of the children who were long-term patients of the hospital. She was basically doing something similar to the Big Sister program, where she would spend some time with a child; however as they were very ill she could not leave the confines of the ward with them. It was here that she met Jessica Thompson.

As Peyton walked into room 1089, she came face to face with a young girl of fourteen whose skin tone almost matched the color of her sheets. The room around her was colorful, with various drawings and get well cards from friends and classmates hung around the room and covering the tables. Peyton had been briefed on her condition; she was suffering from a second bout of leukemia after being in remission for two years. She had been here for the last six months. As she looked around at all of the artwork, she found an 'in' so to speak; Jessie was an artist. As she looked her over again she noticed that she was wrapped up in her drawing at this moment, and though she did not want to disturb her concentration, she decided to make her presence known.

"I see you like to draw. You're really good."

Jessie snapped her head up at the sudden introduction and looked at Peyton inquisitively. "Thanks. I have to do something while I'm here all day. I'm Jessie, but I am assuming you knew that already."

"I did, but I prefer to hear things from the source. I'm Peyton."  
"Peyton huh? Well you have a lot to live up to, so I hope you are a really cool person."

This confused Peyton. '_What did she mean I have a lot to live up to?_' "What, exactly, do you mean by that?"

"Well you can see that I like to draw, but I also like to read, and my favorite character in my favorite book is named Peyton. So since you have the same name, I figure you have to be as cool as her, though that will be difficult, I'm sure, because Peyton Sawyer is awesome."

Jessie saying her full name startled her a bit. '_I could not have stumbled upon a teenager that loves __**his**__ book could I?' _ "What book is that?"

"_An Unkindness of Ravens_ of course. Do you live under a rock or something? How could you not know who Peyton Sawyer is?" Jessie said incredulously.

'_If only you knew_' Peyton thought to herself. "Of course I have heard of the book. It is my favorite as well." Peyton replied quietly.

She could not believe that this is the direction this conversation was taking. Lucas had only left her six months ago and the pain of waking up alone was still raw. She went back to that night often in her mind, and in her dreams, and sometimes in her nightmares. In her nightmares the events play out much like they did in reality, but in her dreams her answer changes. In her dreams Lucas proposes to her and every single time she says yes. After such dreams, she wakes up feeling elated, until she comes back down to Earth and realizes that it was just a dream, and that Lucas left her without even saying goodbye.

"Hello, Earth to Peyton!" Jessie said causing Peyton to swiftly snap out of her thoughts. "Where did you go?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking about…ummm…Lucas and Peyton."

"I LOVE Leyton! They are the best couple ever. True love always. I wonder if we will ever hear about their wedding. You do know the book is based on Lucas's real life right?"

"Yes I did know that, and what is Leyton?"

"Oh geez, how out of touch are you? Leyton is the nickname for the Lucas/Peyton relationship. It's like when Brooke calls Nathan and Haley Naley. Duh."

"Oh…right…okay," Peyton replied thoroughly thrown by Jessie's devotion to Luke's book. She is happy that the novel, which she has read several times since it came out last month, has such loyal fans, however she needed to get the topic of conversation off of her past relationship, even though Jessie did not know it was her. "So what are you drawing?"

"The Tree Hill gang at the River Court at the end of the book, the part where Nathan and Lucas face off for a one-on-one game after the post-graduation party. I love this part, and rumor has it that the scene was not in the original manuscript, but he added it because it was such a natural ending to the story, just before the friends split up for college and when the their futures were still so wide open."

"Oh." That distraction did not work as planned, so Peyton decided to try a different tactic. "Do you mind if I draw too?"

"Are you even any good? I mean, the Peyton in my book is good, but that does not mean that you are."

"Umm, I'm decent."

"I guess. Here," Jessie said as she passed Peyton paper and a pencil.

"Thanks." They sat and drew in silence for a while before Peyton finally had to break the silence. She found it odd, since she was so accustomed to the silence in her life, that she wanted to start a conversation, especially this one.

"So, do you really think that Luke and Peyton should be together? I mean how often does the person you go to prom with end up being the one you marry?"

"True, but these two are different. They deserve each other. After all the crap that Peyton has been through in her life, and all of the stuff that Lucas has been through, they deserve to have a happy ending together."  
"But it's not like they had the perfect relationship right? I mean Haley and Nathan were always much stronger then Lucas and Peyton."  
"How can you _say_ that? I love Naley just as much as the next person, they are right up there with Leyton, but Leyton should be together too. Yeah Lucas put her through a lot, but they worked through it, and by the end of senior year they were together and in love. Naley may be always and forever, but Leyton is true love always."

After such a passionate speech Peyton did not really know how to respond. For some reason she did not want to reveal to this idealistic young woman just who she was; it was almost as if she was afraid of what would happen if she knew of the break-up. The girl was already going through so much; it would almost be a sin to dash these dreams too, trivial though they may be. She decided to broach the subject with caution saying "but what if they broke up?"

"They won't."

"Just say they do."

"Then they will work through it and get back together."

"And if they don't?"

"They will," Jessie said adamantly. With that, the subject was dropped and they each went back to their drawing. A while later, a nurse came in to give Jessie some medication which quickly put her to sleep.

As Peyton got up to leave, Jessie rolled over and said "Don't worry Peyton, they will always be together. Everyone is rooting for the couple in the book, and when you have an entire country behind you, you know it is meant to be." She then rolled back over and went back to sleep. Peyton stood there for a moment before turning back and walking out the door.

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After that first day, time continued to pass casually by the two girls. They had bonded completely over art, music, and of course the book they both loved. Peyton suddenly found herself being much happier with her life; she smiled more, and she even laughed when she was with Jessie, neither of which had she done since Lucas had walked out of her life. She was still in love with Lucas, and of course she still missed him, but she was able to be happy again with Jessie, and she cherished that relationship. Whenever Peyton had a free moment, she could always be found in room 1089 of the hospital. Peyton had still not told Jessie that she was the character in the book that she loved so much, but Jessie had announced, about two weeks after Peyton began spending time with her, that she was _almost_ as cool as Peyton Sawyer, but that nobody would ever take P. Sawyer's crown. This caused Peyton to chuckle internally a bit. Everything was going well, the nurses would smile often as they passed the room and heard laughing come from inside. Everything was going well, until Peyton noticed what Jessie was reading one day as she walked in the room.

"Hey what's up? Why are you reading that?"

"I'm trying to come up with a wish that they would be able to give me."

"But I thought that the Make a Wish Foundation only granted wishes to kids who were…" Peyton faded away slowly.

"Yeah, exactly. The doctors told me yesterday Peyton, I'm not going to get better, and they don't know how much time I have left. I just don't know what to ask for. I know what I want, but I don't think that they can give it to me."

"Well what is it that you want, and why can't they give it to you?"

"I want to meet one of the characters from the book, but they are all so busy. Lucas is on a book tour still, Nathan has basketball, Haley has school, and they both have Jaime to worry about, Brooke is busy with Clothes over Bros in New York, and even though Peyton is in LA, who knows where she is, and she is probably swamped with all of the cool bands she's probably signing. I even heard that Karen left with Lily to travel a bit."

"So what are you going to ask for?"

"I guess I want to go to the River Court. Even if nobody will be there I would like to see it. I mean, it's not like they are able to do anything for me here anyway. Maybe I'll even catch a game between Junk and Fergie while I'm there," she finished with a hint of a sad smile.

"That sounds like a good wish."

"Yeah, unfortunately, my parents can't go with me since they have to work so much to pay for my treatment. Even though they are stopping treatment, they still owe a lot of money, so I don't think I can go. They won't let me go without an adult. It is nice to dream about though."

"Yeah it is," Peyton replied softly, with a hint of tears.

"Okay, no waterworks. Gees, I'm here and I'm fine. Give me a break!" Jessie said forcefully with a small smile that completely ruined the effect. Peyton burst out laughing, and just like that they were back to their normal selves.

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When Peyton got home that night, she was still thinking about Jessie's wish. She had swiped the phone number to the Make a Wish Foundation while Jessie was in the bathroom, so she got herself a light snack and her phone, and prepared to make a few phone calls.

The first call was to the hospital to make sure that they would even let Jessie out of the hospital for the length of time it would take to get to North Carolina and back. When they said that it was okay, she made the next call which was to Jessie's parents.

She had met them quite a few times over the course of her time with their daughter and they got on well. She explained to them exactly who she was, though she requested that they not tell Jessie, and explained to them her plan. She told them of Jessie's wish to see the River Court, and that she would be happy to escort her there if they needed her to. They gratefully accepted, and she prepared for her next call.

Peyton called the Make a Wish Foundation and explained about Jessie's situation and her plan for her. They gladly said that they would make the flight arrangements for the two of them for whenever Peyton wanted to leave. They joked that this would be the easiest wish they would ever provide, since all they really needed to do was arrange the flights and Peyton was taking care of everything else.

She then called her boss and requested a few weeks off. When they refused to give her the time, she quit, and she felt freer than she had in a long time.

Finally, she made the one phone call that she was simultaneously excited for, and yet dreading. She got anxious as the phone continued to ring, until the person at the other end answered. She froze, but she told herself that Jessie needed her, and she would not let her down. It took a few seconds before she could speak, but she took a deep breath and rushed through it.

"Luke, I need your help."

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**A/N:** Hope you like it. Please let me know in a review!


	2. The Choice

**DISCLAIMER: I do not possess the magic that is Mark Schwann, therefore, _One Tree Hill_ is not mine.**

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_Last time:_

_Finally, she made the one phone call that she was simultaneously excited for, and yet dreading. She got anxious as the phone continued to ring, until the person at the other end answered. She froze, but she told herself that Jessie needed her, and she would not let her down. It took a few seconds before she could speak, but she took a deep breath and rushed through it._

_"Luke, I need your help."_

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Chapter 2 - The Choice

Lucas had been at war with himself all day. He had just gotten his tour schedule the other day and his first signing was in L.A. next month. He wanted to call her; he wanted her to be there for his first signing, especially since she lived there anyway. After all, if it wasn't for her, nobody would have ever read _Ravens_ for it to be published in the first place. They weren't together anymore, and he knew that it seemed irrational, but he wanted her to be there with him when he did his first book signing for his first novel.

However, she had said "No" to getting married, and that still hurt. He had thought they would be together forever, and he was hesitant to bring the woman who crushed him back into his life. After all, that was why he left her alone in that hotel room; he couldn't bear to face her after she rejected him. So here he sat, alone, at the River Court, staring at his phone, waiting for some sign of what the right decision was.

He had originally come to the court to shoot around as he thought, but after missing more 3 point shots then he could count, and having Skills' words about him shooting 3's when he has a woman problem ringing in his ears, he stopped shooting and just sat on the picnic table, lost in his thoughts, memories, and his answerless question; should he, or should he not, call her?

After a few more minutes of contemplation, all he had decided was that he was getting nowhere. He was just getting up to head home and deal with this situation in the morning, after all, it was nearly midnight, when the phone began to ring. He glanced down to see who could be calling at this time of night when he saw her face flash across the screen.

He hesitated, thinking of just ignoring it, but he knew that for her to call this late, especially after everything that happened six months ago, it had to be important. It would hurt, hearing her voice after she rejected him would be like a stab through the heart, but he just could not help himself. It looks like the choice was taken out of his hands after all. He took a deep breath and answered the phone.

"Hello."

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**A/N:** Hello all! Yes I am back, and I am so sorry about the wait, especially with such a short chapter to come back to, but there is at least one more chapter written at the moment, so you all will be seeing that soon. I know there is no Peyton or Jessie in this chapter, but they will be in the next chapter.

I hope you all do not hate me, and whether you do or don't, please take a minute to let me know what you think!

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**REVIEW!**


	3. Wishes Come True

**Disclaimer: All I own of One Tree Hill are the box sets of the seasons, and nothing more**

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_Last time:_

_He hesitated, thinking of just ignoring it, but he knew that for her to call this late, especially after everything that happened six months ago, it had to be important. It would hurt, hearing her voice after she rejected him would be like a stab through the heart, but he just could not help himself. It looks like the choice was taken out of his hands after all. He took a deep breath and answered the phone._

_"Hello."_

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**Chapter 3 - Wishes Come True**

Peyton walked into the hospital the next morning with a new spring in her step. Her conversation with Lucas the night before had been better than she could have hoped it would. They didn't discuss themselves, it was all about Jessie. Everything was set for the trip. All that was left was to tell Jessie, and that wasn't anything she had to do. The Make a Wish Foundation was coming tomorrow to tell Jessie that she was getting her wish to see the River Court. She was excited to share that world with her friend. She realized that anyone could catch a flight to Tree Hill and turn up at the River Court, or any of the other Tree Hill spots that Luke wrote about, but for Peyton to be able to show her that world was something that not everyone would get, and something that she found herself inexplicably joyful about.

The two girls spent their day laughing and drawing. If Jessie noticed any change in Peyton, she didn't mention it, for which Peyton was thankful. Peyton was readying to leave for the evening thinking she got off with a _Ravens_ free afternoon, until Jessie spoke up.

"Hey Peyton, guess what! Lucas Scott's book tour schedule was just released yesterday, and he's coming to L.A. next month. It's too bad I didn't know that before I submitted my wish form," she said. She had started off excited, but had trailed off sadly by the time she finished. Peyton had a hard time looking at her miserable expression and not blurting out their trip to North Carolina.

"Hey, what's with the long face? You only just submitted your wish list. Who knows, maybe yours will come true.

"It's impossible Peyton. There are too many outlying factors, including my parents. I'm just gonna stay here for the rest of my life."

"Hey! That is not the Jessica Thompson that I have come to know and love. The Jessie I know loves art, and music, and a book that is all about impossible things that can happen. So, I don't want to hear you be anything but positive. Now, I have to go, but I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow," Jessie replied a little more cheerfully than before, but not much.

By the time Peyton returned the next day, Jessie's parents and another gentleman were standing outside her door, seemingly waiting for her. She was introduced to Mr. Sorenson, the head of the Make a Wish Foundation, and he explained how everything was going to work on his end. When the doctor came out of Jessie's room after doing a routine check on her, he pronounced her fit enough to travel. As Mr. and Mrs. Thompson walked into their daughter's room, Mr. Sorenson turned to Peyton.

"Are you ready for this?"

"Yeah."

"Do you still wish to remain a secret and proceed as we discussed on the phone?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay, let's do this. And by the way, thank you for helping us do this."

"Trust me, it's my pleasure," Peyton said with a watery smile as they walked in together. "Hey Jess, I found this guy out in the hall looking for you. Any idea who he might be?"

"Uh...no," Jessie replied flatly making Peyton chuckle.

"Miss Thompson I presume? My name is James Sorenson and I am the head of the Make a Wish foundation. I am here to make your wish come true," he said looking straight at Jessie with a smile.

Jessie's eyes flicked from Mr. Sorenson, to Peyton, to her parents, and back to Mr. Sorenson. Her face was a look of pure shock, with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. For a moment she was absolutely speechless as her eyes moved from face to smiling face within the room.

"Wha...What does that mean?" she finally asked with bated breath.

"That means that you and your parents will be taking a private plane to Tree Hill, North Carolina to see the River Court and other sights from Lucas Scott's _An Unkindness of Ravens_." Everyone in the room looked at him, absolutely shocked, while he just smiled. He was glad that he still had some surprises up his sleeve, even if he didn't arrange this.

The silence was broken as Peyton's cell phone beeped, alerting her to a waiting text message. She blinked a few times before checking it quickly. As she did, Jessie finally came out of her daze.

"Can't Peyton come with me?"

"Unfortunately, while we made arrangements for your family, we were unable to include Peyton in them," Mr. Sorenson said

Peyton looked back down to the text message and reread it_. Hey P, I'll be in L.A. tonight and we are road tripping this weekend! 3 B_

"But she has to come," Jessie continued to plead.

"Um, that's okay, it looks like I can't anyway. I have a friend coming in tonight, and apparently we are road tripping this weekend, or so I've just been told," Peyton commented as she waved her phone indicating that this is what the text was pertaining to, "and it must be really important, because she cannot usually sit still long enough for a road trip."

Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson were trying to figure out how they were going to be able to take that much time off of work. They wanted to spend anytime that they could with their daughter, but they just could not afford it at the moment. That is why they had agreed to Peyton taking her.

"Mr. Sorenson...ummm..." Mrs. Thompson began, but stopped when she did not know how to continue. She didn't what to dash her daughter's hopes completely.

"Oh yes, I forgot. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, it gives me great pleasure to tell you that all of Jessie's medical bills are paid off, with a promise of payment for any more she may accrue in the next year. We have spoken with your bosses at all of your various jobs who have agreed to suspend your contract with them for as much time as you would like, effectively giving you all the time off you may require, should you even decide to return to those positions at some point. This also applies to your full time teaching positions. We have assurances from both the teacher's union, and your school district, that you have job security until that time in which you choose to return. You have every right to decide that you wish to stay and continue working, but all of those in charge that we spoke to were only too happy to grant you as much time with Jessie as possible."

The Thompson's were momentarily struck dumb, unable to believe what they were being told. Jessie had a hopeful smile on her face as she realized what this could mean.

"Wait…so…you mean…" Jessie began, too afraid to express her entire thought for fear she had heard incorrectly.

"Yes, your parents can take the next year or two off to be with you, and still be able to get their jobs back at the end of that time. With your bills paid, it gives them a bit more freedom to be able to do just that, should they want to," Mr. Sorenson finished with a smile.

"Are you serious?" Mr. Thompson asked.

"As can be."

"I thought the purpose of your organization was to grant the wishes of children, not the wildest hopes and dreams of their parents," a teary eyed Mrs. Thompson replied. She just could not believe what was happening.

"Well to be perfectly honest, our office had very little to do with this particular wish," Mr. Sorenson said to a confused family, "but I will say more about that when we get to North Carolina. Are there any other questions about the trip?"

"How long will we be gone, and where will we be staying?" Mr. Thompson, ever the practical one, asked.

"A local has offered up his home for your use for as long as you want. He is away for months at a time on business, and his daughter no longer lives at home, so you will have full run of the house."

The Thompsons were speechless.

"Was there anything else?"

"Is this for real?" Jessie finally asked.

"Absolutely."

"When do we leave?" she asked eagerly, causing everyone else in the room laughed.

"Well, since it is a private jet we have some leeway in that, however, being that you all need to pack, as well as get things here in order, let's say five days? Wheels up at noon?" Mr. Sorenson replied looking to the Thompsons for conformation. All was agreed upon and Mr. Sorenson left.

Jessie let out an uncharacteristic squeal as soon as the door closed, and those remaining in the room chuckled.

"Peyton, do you believe it? I'm going to Tree Hill!"  
"I know, it's amazing. You got your wish!"

"The only thing that could make it better would be if you could come with us. I mean, it is your favorite book too."

"I know. I'm really sorry, and I wish that I could go with you, but for my friend to fly here just to road trip with me, it must be really important. Trust me, I would not leave one of my best friends to experience such a treat as Tree Hill if it was anything less. You have to promise to tell me everything about it."

"I will."

They sat and drew in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company. They were both thinking about Jessie's visit to Tree Hill, and what it might mean for their friendship. Sooner than either realized, visiting hours were over, and it was time for Peyton to leave. As she gathered her things and readied herself to go, she looked at Jessie to say goodnight only to find one of her closest friends close to tears.

"Hey, hey, hey what is this? What's with the waterworks?" Peyton said with a teasing smile.

"I just wish you were coming with me. I don't know when I'll see you next since I'm not sure when I'm coming back. Will I see you before…" she trailed off.

Peyton closed her eyes at Jessie's question. It pained her every time she brought up the inevitable.

"Hey don't talk like that. Of course I will see you soon. Maybe after I find out what this sudden road trip is all about I'll come visit you in Tree Hill and you can show me all of your favorite hangouts, as well as some of the sights. How does that sound?" When Jessie didn't respond Peyton's smile fell, and she continued more seriously, "Jess, I will come and meet you in North Carolina. You are one of my best friends, and I am just not ready to say goodbye to you yet, so I will say 'see you later,' and I will. Okay?"

"Okay," Jessie finally said with a glimmer of a smile.

"That's my girl," Peyton said as she waved once more and headed out the door.

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**A/N:** Two updates in one week! I know, I'm shocked myself. See, I told you that this chapter would be longer. I know that the bit about the Thompsons getting off work for that long is probably unrealistic, but just go with it please. Anyway, I hope you liked it. The next chapter is written, but not typed, so I hope to get that out to you soon. It is annother short one, but the one after that will be much longer. Please let me know what you thought!

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**REVIEW!**


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